Bananas are not only delicious but contain many health benefits ranging from heart health to digestive health.
Here are 20 benefits of bananas you may not know:
- They contain important nutrients:
• Potassium: “helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signals.”
• Vitamin B6: “turns food into energy and helping to create neurotransmitters.”
• Vitamin C: “necessary for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissue.”
• Magnesium: “helps keep blood pressure normal, bones strong, and the heart rhythm steady”
• Copper: aid in the “production of red blood cells, regulation of heart rate and blood pressure, & absorption of iron.”
• Manganese: “helps activate many enzymes in metabolism.”
• Fiber: reduces constipation and does not elevate your blood sugar or cholesterol levels.
• Protein: a building block of tissues and organs including muscles and skin.
• Fat: “essential to give your body energy and to support cell growth. Fat protects our organs and helps keep us warm. Fats also help the body absorb many nutrients and produce important hormones.” - They “reduce appetite by slowing stomach emptying.”
- “Bananas are fairly rich in fiber and resistant starch, which may feed your friendly gut bacteria and safeguard against colon cancer.”
- Their low calorie and high nutrient properties help aid in weight loss.
- Supports heart health since they contain potassium and magnesium.
- Their powerful antioxidants help reduce the damage caused by potentially harmful molecules (free radicals).
- Bananas contain resistant starch which helps reduce appetite and keeps you full.
- Unripe bananas may improve insulin sensitivity due to them containing resistant starch.
- “Studies note that those who eat bananas 4–6 times a week are almost 50% less likely to develop kidney disease than those who don’t eat this fruit”
- Bananas “may help relieve muscle cramps caused by exercise.”
- Bananas can be added to your diet easily. Use it for almost any meal. Better yet, use dried banana flakes, which last longer than fresh bananas.
- “A 2007 study suggested that eating bananas might help prevent wheezing in children with asthma. One reason for this could be the antioxidant and potassium content of bananas. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings.”
- “Laboratory investigations have suggested that lectin, a protein that occurs in bananas, may help prevent leukemia cells from growing.”
- “The American Diabetes Association recommends eating bananas and other fruit as they contain fiber. They note that eating fiber can help lower blood sugar levels. The author of a 2018 review concluded that eating a high fiber diet could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and may lower blood sugar in those who already have the disease.”
- “Bananas contain tryptophan, an amino acid that may help preserve memory, boost a person’s ability to learn and remember things, and regulate mood.”
- “Bananas contain vitamins A and C, and both are antioxidants and are eye and skin-healthy nutrients.”
- “Bananas have long been a favorite source of energy for endurance and recreational athletes. Bananas are a rich source of potassium and other nutrients and are easy for cyclists, runners, or hikers to carry.”
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Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-bananas
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271157
https://www.eatthis.com/benefits-of-bananas/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120529113258.htm
https://www.webmd.com
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